In association with Dr. Stephen Gottschalk and Dr. Helen Heslop, she has been working on methods to improve immunotherapy options for patients with solid tumors. At this time, she has focused her research on therapeutic strategies for patients with either nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) or neuroblastoma. Most cases of advanced-stage NPC are associated with Epstein Barr virus (EBV), and our center previously determined that administration of adoptively transferred EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (EBV-CTL) was safe and produced anti-tumor effects in 50% of patients. Therefore, Dr. Chrystal Louis’ current research efforts have focused on improving the specificity of the CTL product for NPC tumors and identifying additional, non-EBV associated tumor markers that can also be used as immunotherapy targets.

For patients with high-risk neuroblastoma, prior studies have shown clinical responses after active immunization; however, responses were limited by the poorly immunogenic nature of neuroblastoma tumor-cell vaccines. Dr. Chrystal Louis and colleagues are now investigating the safety, immune response, and anti-tumor activity of more potent, genetically modified neuroblastoma tumor cell vaccines after high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell rescue. Additionally, the group is continuing their study using adoptively transferred T cells modified to express receptors for GD2 in patients with a history of high-risk neuroblastoma.

Education

M.D., Tulane University School of Medicine M.P.H., Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Residency, University of California at Davis Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine

Board Certifications

American Board of Pediatrics American Board of Pediatrics – Hematology/Oncology

Selected Memberships

Member, American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Member, American Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Member, American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (ASPHO)